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The International Aikido Female Instructors Seminar in Slovenia

Slovenia hosted a very punctilious and fruitful international aikido seminar. It was conducted by three women who love aikido very much and show this through their dedication on the tatami and beyond: Nadia Korichi, 4th Dan, Satomi Ishikawa, 4th Dan, and Staša Pisek, 3rd Dan. The seminar was in Ljubljana, during the 11th – 13th of May. Boštjan Kenda was one of the participants at this seminar and was very kind to share the impressions upon the International Aikido Female Instructors Seminar.

Satomi Ishikawa Sensei, Staša Pisek Sensei and Nadia Korichi Sensei

“Aikido practice under female instructors has a tradition nearly as old as the martial art itself. In 1933, Takako Kunigoshi became a student at the renowned Kobukan Dojo, established by Morihei Ueshiba in Japan, in the pre-war era. She later joined the ranks of aikido instructors and was amongst the first prominent women to verse others in this art.In the wake of the last decade’s gender equality and gender balance issue, effort has been made to promote and develop aikido seminars under the leadership of female instructors. For any aikido organization, hosting such a seminar is the mark of that organization’s maturity.

This year, with the help of the International Aikido Federation, Aikikai Slovenia gave its first international aikido seminar with an all-female instructor cast.During a weekend’s span, we had the privilege to learn from Nadia Korichi, 4th Dan Aikikai, from France, and Satomi Ishikawa, 4th Dan Aikikai from the Netherlands, two aikido instructors of both European and international renown. In equal measure, we were delighted to take instructions from Staša Pisek, 3rd Dan Aikikai, from Slovenia.The instructors focused greatly on the technical aspects of aikido. They worked to improve the stability of the hanmi, showing us how to lower our body centre, open our shoulders and chest, and enter the techniques mobilizing our hips.Each session began with an array of techniques, which were elaborated upon throughout. Instructors delved into details of footing, stance, gaze and hand movement and position. These minute and often overlooked aspects revitalized the techniques for which we assumed adequate knowledge before. Finally, exotics were introduced, with Nadia Korichi’s meticulous demonstrations of tai otoshi taking the show.Meticulousness was the key, but this did not make a single dint in the relaxed atmosphere of the seminar. It was precisely through this lack of pressure that we could practice the techniques accurately and commit them to our body and memory. The pleasant and productive experience left us all with a desire for more.”